Only Time Heals
by PinkaliciousPrincess
Summary: Spoilers for 2.12. Takes place after the Lauren/Santana fight. When Santana gets seriously injured in their hallway brawl, what other secrets about her life will come out, and who will she trust to help her heal? Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a thought I had run through my head earlier today. Basically this is about what would happen if the Lauren actually seriously hurt Santana during their little fight, and why Santana is actually such a bitch. I think there is a lot more to her that shown on the sctual show, and I want to explore that. Not sure how long this story will be yet, but this chapter is extremely short. Let me know of any mistakes I made/tips you may have for me/any confusion you may have and I'll clear it up. I'll try to update as soon as I can!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, or its characters, in any way, shape, or form. Just borrowing them for my own entertainment.**

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"SANTANA!" Brittany's voice echoed through the crowed halls. "SAN!"

She didn't move. That one hit, that one shove into the lockers, would change her life. Her uncontained jealousy that caused the whole fight to begin with would completely transform the comfortable, secure world she was used to. She had no idea what was coming.

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All the traffic in the hallways shifted to the side when the tall blonde rushed from the other side of the building. Everybody was scared to move, too scared to breathe. Lauren Zizes was the most terrified of them all.

She knew she had a right to defend herself against the smaller girl. Nobody deserves to be bullied daily for their appearance or hobbies, not even if they were different than what is accepted. But she didn't mean to actually _hurt_ the girl. Sure, she wanted, _needed_, to teach her a badly needed lesson in humility and kindness, but she didn't mean to hurt her, just knock her ego down a few pegs. Now she had no idea what was going to happen to her. She really hoped Santana would be okay. If she wasn't, she doesn't think she'll be able to live with herself.

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Puck was speechless. Santana was supposed to be tough. She was supposed to jump off the floor after being pushed with more anger than ever, not be lying there helpless and vulnerable in the middle of the hallway. That wasn't his Santana he was seeing. That wasn't the girl he had known since preschool, who insisted that climbing a tree wasn't scary at all and convinced him to climb to the very top with her before they got stuck. That wasn't his mischievous partner in crime, his go-to friend when he needed his "needs" taken care of, one of the few people he though would always be there for him. He didn't recognize the girl awkwardly lying on the tile. He doesn't know her, and he needs her to be herself again. He doesn't even want to think about what will happen if she doesn't.

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She didn't really know what was going on. She saw that girl from Glee with the mean look on her face push her San into the hard locker. Someone accidently did that to her once, and it really hurt and she cried. But San yelled at them and kissed her arm to make it better, and it worked. She wanted to kiss San to make her feel better too, but she's wasn't waking up. Plus, Artie was there, and he told her she can't kiss San anymore, even if she was sad. She tried shaking the girl to make her talk, but Puck pulled her away and told her not to move her. She didn't know what to do, so she started crying. If San hears her crying, she'll come back to her. She knows it.

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Someone called an ambulance. By this point, all the Glee members were there, all afraid to get to close in fear of the Latina's reaction if she woke up. Paramedics rushed into the building, a few stopping to ask witnesses what had happened. They slid Santana onto the stretcher, and began to leave the school. They were not expecting to be stopped by a very intimidating woman in a tracksuit, demanding to ride in the ambulance along with the teen. They weren't going to say no to a giant woman threatening a lawsuit, plus they really had to get the girl to the hospital. Someone shrugged, and opened the door to the vehicle. They were on their way.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Seriously though, if there's anything that bothers you feel free to point it out; I know I have a lot of work to do to grow as a writer. Also, I'm not exactly comfortable on writing certain characters' dialogue, so if there is any major issues with that please let me know.**

**In this chapter, we don't yet learn what exactly the matter is, but we meet (or hear about) some people that have a lot to do with who she is today, even if their roles aren't quite obvious yet. This chapter may not seem relevant now and just in the way of the "good stuff", but I promise it's all important for later chapters. I don't want to give away too much, so I'm going to end this here. Enjoy!**

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The Glee kids slowly trickled into the emergency room waiting room. Most of the teenagers were not worried or scared for Santana, but they still cared. As Finn so eloquently explained, if she was less "tough and stubborn and, like, actually breakable" they would be panicking, but they knew she would be okay. Lauren was still feeling guilty. In fact, she wouldn't even be there if she didn't feel the desperate need to apologize in person. And, hey, if Santana wanted to kill her, as least she knew for sure she would be able to defend herself. As if there was ever a doubt.

Puck and Brittany were obviously scared. Puck tried to hide it, but his lack of input on the other boy's conversation about which gas stations were the best to stand outside to get free beer gave his feelings away. Brittany, on the other hand was a mess. She clung to Artie, crying about how she's never going to be able to watch Grey's Anatomy again. It didn't make much sense, but Artie just tried to comfort her and keep her calm. Eventually she quieted down and fell asleep.

Someone texted Mr. Schue, who brought Ms. Pillsbury and joined them at the hospital as soon as the school day ended. Sue had come and gone. She got Santana signed into the hospital and contacted her parents, but she left so she wouldn't miss her Cheerios practice at 3:15 sharp. Without her there, no one was persuasive enough to get any information. The Lopezes hadn't shown up yet, and the nurse was not allowed to tell them anything about Santana except that she was stable and very much alive. Once assured Santana was doing okay, the group began to once again chat aimlessly and continued to wait.

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A woman walked into the waiting room. She appeared around 30 years old, and had dark hair and eyes. She was wearing a purple shirt with jeans, and was pushing a baby stroller. She took off her sunglasses and looked around the large room filled to the brim with teenagers.

"Hey Quinn."

Quinn's head shot up from its place on Sam's shoulder, surprised. She hadn't heard that voice in years.

"Claire? Oh my gosh, how are you? Are these your twins? I haven't seen you since they were born!"

Claire smiled. "Wow, has it really been that long? Yes, this is Mia and Ellie. They are almost one, I can't believe it. I had lunch with your sister and nephew last week and she told me about your gallery. Congratulations, that's so cool!"

"Thank you! It's exciting. Congrats on the pregnancy, by the way."

"Thank you. Anyway, can you keep an eye on the girls? I have to go find out how Santana is doing. Our parents are in Fiji for their anniversary for a few weeks, and they called me saying she was okay but I needed to come help her. Do you mind?"

"Of course not! Please let us know how she is doing."

"Okay, I will be right back." Claire walked up to the front desk and started talking to the nurse, while the Glee kids turned to Quinn.

"I have so many questions I don't know where to start," Mercedes said, watching as Quinn pulled out a fussy brunette baby girl from the stroller. "One. Who was that? Two. How do you know her? Three. What 'gallery' is she talking about, and what does it have to do with you?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "First of all, that's Santana's sister Claire. She's 16 years older than us, and she's my older sister's best friend. Santana and I grew up together, so she's known me my whole life. I basically considered her my sister growing up. Also, the gallery is nothing really. Some of my paintings were put into an art museum in Columbus. Its no big deal, my sister just likes to brag."

"Wait, you're an artist? How did you live with me for three months and I not find that out?"

"I'm not an artist. I'm just good at art stuff. Anyway, here comes Claire." Claire was heading back to the group with a confused expression on her face.

"So apparently, she has 6 broken ribs, a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, and a ton of bruises, but is insisting she is fine and keeps trying to leave when the nurses aren't looking. I don't know why that is surprising though, she's the girl who somehow managed to practically cut off both of her hands with toy handcuffs when she was five and didn't even cry until she realized she got blood all over her puppy. I'm going to go see her, does anyone want to come?"

"Brittany should go, she need to see that San is okay. Puck should go too, the rest of can take turns going to see her when you guys come back out. Want me to keep watching the babies?" Quinn asked.

"That would be great, thanks. Let's go guys."

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**I really hope you guys enjoyed! I have one quick question for you: What pairings do you want to see, if any, and which ones do you definitely _not_ want to see? I'm not exactly sure how well I'll be able to write certain ones, but I want your opinions. Thanks so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long; I had a huge paper I needed to spend all my "writing brain" on. I'll try to get the next one up faster! And again, thanks for the reviews! It means so much.**

**As for pairings, I'm still undecided. I may do an "unexpected" pairing, maybe Santana/Artie, Santana/Mike or even Santana/Tina, but that won't come until later. Background pairings will be just that, in the background, and won't really be a huge part of the story. **

**This chapter has more Santana/Quinn friendship. For those who don't really like Quinn, as of this point she's going to be a bit of a major character in the story. I needed someone for Santana to open up with, and I picture them as having a long shared history. Even if you don't like her, I hope you all enjoy the story and their friendship here!**

**Hope you like this!**

Brittany, Puck, and Claire headed down the hospital hallway. Claire leads them to room 215, knocking lightly on the door before entering. "Hello? S?"

Santana was sitting in the bed with a bored look on her face, fiddling with the television remote. "Claire? What are you doing here? Did you come to break me out? Don't let the nurses see you or I'll never get to leave."

Claire ignores the comment and instead rushes over to her little sister, giving her a hug and kiss on her forehead. "Oh princess, how are you feeling? Mom and Dad called me, I came as soon as I could. All your friends are so worried; they're all out in the waiting room."

"I want to leave this place. I don't even hurt, I don't know why I'm here. And what friends? They hate me."

"They do not hate you. See look, Britt and Puck are right here," Claire announced, moving out of the way so Santana could see the two teenagers behind her.

"Hi S."

"What are you doing here, Puck? And Britts, I can see you."

Brittany moved the hands covering her face, while Puck moved closer to her bed. "I just had to make sure you were okay. Brittany and I were so scared. Why did you try to fight Lauren?"

Santana rolled her eyes. She _really_ didn't feel like getting into that right now. "I had my reasons, okay? Just drop it. I'm _fine_."

Puck didn't believe her, but he knew when to drop the subject. He'll talk to her about it another time, when she's healed. "Um, okay."

Brittany was still standing off to the side. While Puck had moved to one of the chairs to the side of Santana's bed, and Claire had sat down cross-legged on the foot of the bed, Brittany stood near the door, as if she was ready to dart any second. Puck looked back at her. "Don't you want to come over here and talk to S, Brittany?"

She hesitated, before nodding and inching closer. She looked unsure, but made her way over to the bed anyway. Santana sat up straighter, eying the blonde curiously. "What do you need, B?"

Santana honestly didn't know why she was there. Puck being there she could understand, he always had been extremely concerned for her. Even when he put others before her, she knew he would still worry about her; the question was whether or not he would show it. Brittany, on the other hand, had recently been ignoring her. She put Artie first, and never had time for Santana anymore. Santana didn't really blame her. Why should Brittany spend time with her when she had a boyfriend who would do anything for her? Brittany probably didn't even realize she was neglecting Santana. So what changed? Why wasn't she in the waiting room with him?

"I-I thought you died," Brittany quietly admits to her friend. Santana gave a small, sardonic laugh, throwing her head back onto the pillow as she did. "You can't get rid of me that easily, B."

Brittany opened her mouth to say something more, then closed it again. She saw that Santana was her old self again, and she felt relieved. Her San was still okay, and didn't need her anymore. She smiled at the Latina.

Claire scooted up on the bed, practically sitting on top of her baby sister. "You're not okay," she whispers to her. "I can tell."

Santana growled. "I am FINE. Why won't anyone believe me? I just want to go HOME."

"Are Mr. Michael and Mrs. Kate still checking up on you while mom and dad are gone?"

She paused before she answered. "Yes. But not as much as they used to, thank God."

Claire nodded at her sister, before jumping off the bed. "I'm going to go get Mia and Ellie! They miss you. And I'll get Quinn too." Santana smiled at this, before remembering they weren't getting along so well these days. She pushed that thought out of her head. She wasn't sure if it was her concussion or the pain medication she was on making her change her mind on her previous opinion of Quinn, but she kinda wanted to be friends again. They had known each other forever, and she missed the level of comfort they had with each other. They both knew the other was a bitch, yet loved each other anyway. They didn't always get along, but had always previously made up and gone back to being best friends. She didn't see why this time should be any different.

Brittany and Puck each pressed one more kiss to Santana's head before following Claire out of the room. As soon as they left, Santana pressed the button that would administer her more pain medicine. She hurt, but she didn't want anyone to know. She just wanted to go home.

"Hey San." Quinn walked into the room holding one of her nieces. A closer look ensured it was Ellie, the twin who, personality-wise, took after her. Santana held her arms out for the baby, ignoring the pain in her extended shoulder and ribs. Quinn handed over the baby and laid down next to Santana on the bed. "Don't even pretend you're okay. I know you're not."

Santana ignored this, instead choosing to ask where her sister and other niece were.

"She went to go feed Mia. She said to tell you she'll be here in like 15 minutes. Anyway, I have one question for you."

Santana looked at her with tired eyes. "I possess the right to not answer if I don't want to." Quinn just looked at her, and asked, "Why have you been so different lately? I mean, I know you would never back down from a fight, but you would never start one over a _guy_. And after you blamed me for telling Coach about your "surgery", which I _didn't_ do, you didn't seem to want to be friends anymore. But that's what we do. We hurt each other, then make up and be friends again. I know it's not healthy, but it's what we do. And I've known you for so long I _know_ something is wrong. So, spill. I want to be close again, but you need to talk to me."

The girl being questioned just looked down at the peaceful baby in her arms. She didn't know how to answer. She wasn't surprised Quinn had figured out something was wrong, they'd known each other literally forever, but she didn't know how to tell her. She wasn't even sure if she knew herself. Santana just looked up at Quinn, not saying anything. She knew her friend would understand.

Quinn sighed, and smoothed Santana's hair away from her face. "Can you just promise to tell me when you figure it out? I don't know what happened, but I think someone hurt you. I don't know how, but I think that's what's wrong." She examined Santana as she talked, watching her facial expressions as she expressed her thoughts. "Okay? We don't have to talk about that anymore. I know you don't like to be all deep and everything."

Santana nodded thankfully, and closed her eyes for a minute. "I'll try to talk to you. Not now though. Don't tell anybody, but my head is killing me." Quinn smiled, knowing the olive branch she had extended was being accepted. "You're so stubborn. Here, let me take the baby, I'll go turn on some music." She walked over to the TV, putting on a classical music station, and heading over to the chair in the corner to sit with the baby. Santana fell asleep within minutes.

As soon as Santana was obviously down for awhile, at least, Claire came in, bouncing the other baby. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, she just fell asleep. When does she get to go home?"

"Tomorrow at the very earliest, but probably in a few more days. I'm going to stay with her for a week or so until our parents get back. I don't want the neighbors to have to drop their whole lives to look after her. Anyway, let's go back to the waiting room. I'm going to take the girls home and put them to bed, my husband should be home by now to watch them."

Quinn nodded. "Okay, I think I'm going to stay here with her tonight. I'm sure Puck or someone will stay with me. Let's go."

The two girls walk out of the room, each with a baby. Quinn wondered what was wrong with Santana more and more with every step out of the hospital room she took. No matter what it was, she made a vow to herself to find out and help fix her friend. Now she just had to rely on Santana to let her.

**I hope you enjoyed! What do you guys think is wrong with Santana? Also, what do you want to see in this story (friendships, events, ect.)? Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4

**[Long] A/N: I am truly sorry for the amount of time it has taken me to update. I am completely overwhelmed with school, as I am still in high school (a private one, no less, where I'm in advanced classed in addition to normal classes, and therefore have more work to do outside of school) and we just finished a grading period. Hence the 15 page paper, three essays, and five vignettes I've had to complete in the past two and a half weeks. No excuses though, I really should have had this up sooner, and I apologize. But one question: Has FF been acting really weird for all you of as well? I haven't even been able to access it this week on my computer, laptop, OR phone, which is why I think it's been something with the site. Whatever, it's working now.**

**I really want to thank you for all the reviews; they mean the world to me! I literally only completed this chapter because of the ones I had gotten for the last, so thank you.**

**This chapter is all Santana's return home and her relationship with her parents. Sorry for the length (again), but I take long enough on the super short chapters and I figured you didn't want to wait another two weeks for me to have a longer update for you! Hope you enjoy!**

Santana was released from the hospital four days later. Her concussion had cleared up, along with some of the bruises, but while pretending to be alright and having no injuries whatsoever she put unnecessary stress on her arm, ribs, and shoulder. That alone convinced the doctors she was better off in the hospital for a few more days, if she could ignore the pain in its worst, who knew what damage she would be able to get into without the nurses' supervision.

Claire had to return back to her house in Manhattan with the twins the day before Santana left the hospital, due to a prenatal appointment she had scheduled and her husband's well-awaited return from a business trip. She left Santana in the care of Quinn, while being assured by her parents that they would be home from their trip in time for Santana's homecoming. Their willingness to come home early from their trip did not come as a surprise to either Claire or Santana; the latter shocked that they hadn't come home as soon as they found out, while the former knew it was her promise to watch over her sister that convinced them to finish off the week in Fiji. Their flight landed a half hour before Santana was allowed to be discharged, and they went straight to the hospital to get their youngest child.

"Oh princess, are you okay? I wanted so much to come back to you as soon as we heard, but your father convinced me you would be fine for a few days in Claire's care. Oh, I was so worried, love, I talked to the doctors on the phone twice a day. How is your arm?" Julia Lopez hovered over her daughter, giving her daughter a huge hug once she saw the eye roll in response to her last question. Santana accepted the embrace, enjoying being in her mother's arms in the moment. As much as she wished to deny it, she had really been in a lot of pain and simply wanted her mother. Now that she actually had her, she never wanted her mom to let go of her.

"I'm okay mom. Don't worry about me." Julia raised her eyebrows at this, settling down into the bed with Santana and holding her in her arms. "Hey, I gave birth to you; I know when you're lying. Santana rolled her eyes a second time, choosing to ignore the comment and asked where her father was instead. "He is signing you out as we speak. In fact, here comes a nurse to take out your I.V."

Santana held her left arm automatically, wrapping her right arm around her mother. She pressed her head into her mom's neck. Yes, she was a badass, but needles were scary and HURT. She had the right to snuggle with her mom if she needed to.

"Okay, missy, it's out. Your father is finishing up the discharge, but feel free to gather your stuff. We'll bring a wheelchair when you can leave." The nurse gave one last smile to the Lopez women, and left the room, leaving the door open behind her. Julia pried herself off her daughter and began to pick up the random personal items Claire and Quinn had brought her, throwing it all in a duffel bag she brought. Just as she was about to ask Santana if she had gotten it all, her husband James appeared in the doorway.

"Hey," he whispered, peeking around his wife to see Santana sprawled in the bed, gripping her left arm where the I.V. had been. "Princess, are you okay?"

She smirked, and motioned for her dad to come closer. He stepped into the room, kissing his wife's cheek as he made his way over to Santana. He helped his daughter out of her bed, and kissed her head when she was finally standing. "Ready to go home?" he asked gently.

Santana was a mix of both of her parents. While Claire was a carbon copy of their mother, and her 26-year-old sister Gracie was basically her father's twin, Santana had her father's Hispanic looks with her mother's brash, wild Italian personality. She was determined, private, and stubborn like James, but she could let her walls down and let those closest to her see her for who she really was, like Julia was prone to doing. Most people saw her as a selfish, cruel, rich girl, but she actually liked having that reputation. She didn't feel the need to expose her true self, she believed it much more important to protect herself and her secrets. Only a few, select people se could trust were allowed to see the REAL Santana Noelle Lopez.

"Let's ditch this place. Can I drive?" Santana sighed at her parent's simultaneous shaking of their heads, but accepted the arm her father offered her anyway. Julia grabbed her bag and James's other hand, and the three walked out of the hospital and towards the parking lot together.

Santana stepped out of her father's black Mercedes Benz and into her garage. She cringed inwardly at the pain that came along with the shift in positions, and shook her head at her mother's concerned look. "I'm fine, mom, I just want to lay down and watch TV or something in my room. Okay?" Julia nodded, and helped Santana up the garage stairs leading into the large house.

James Lopez was one of the, if not the most, well-respected and sought-after doctors in Lima, Ohio. In fact, some of his patients even came down from the nearby town of Findlay to see him. His popularity proved to be a blessing for the Lopezes…they were never at a lack for money, and the elevator that reached all three floors and the basement in their house showed that. Thought she usually climbs the stairs, Santana decided to give her already tired out limbs a break and use said elevator to go to her room on the second story.

Not long after she popped in an old Friends DVD into her player, her mom knocked lightly on the cracked door. "Come in!" she called.

"Here, the doctor said to take these pain pills…do you want anything to eat with it? He recommended it, but said it wasn't necessary unless you wanted to reduce nausea."

"No, I'm not hungry. Thanks though."

Julia smiled sympathetically at her exhausted daughter. "Mind if I join you?"

Uncharacteristically, Santana nodded fervently and scooted over to the left side of her queen bed. Her mom climbed under the covers with her and held her daughter. Both women fell asleep not long after, grateful for the other's presence. Ten minutes after they dosed off, James came up to check on them after his wife never came back downstairs. He smiled at the two, and immediately took a picture. He turned off the television and closed Santana's curtains, leaving the girls to sleep in peace in darkness.

**A/N #2: If any of you are confused about anything, let me know and I'll clarify in the next chapter. Also, I want to see your thoughts on this question: **_**WHAT exactly is wrong with Santana? Why?**_

**Please answer, I want to see what I've led you all to believe. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm not surprised if no one wants to read this anymore, I certainly would be frustrated if I was a reader of stories with an author as unreliable as I am. I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates in the past four months, but I have been dealing with a lot of tragedy in my personal life. I know you all hate excuses, as do I, but I feel like I own you all a bit of an explanation. Long story short, my best friend died a little over three months ago; my mother had [another] miscarriage; I've been put on a new anxiety medicine and a new OCD medication; my father was out of work for 2 months (thankfully he's been at a new, better job with a raise for a month now, but it was scary); and I've lost a lot of special kids in my life (I started a nonprofit for children with terminal illnesses, and it seems like all the kids we have helped in the past year are becoming angels or just doing really bad). It's just been a really hard few months, so I hope that with this coming school year (my junior year in high school) my anxieties and panic attacks will be less frequent and more manageable, and I will be able to have more free time to write this story.**

**Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your reviews. Not just on this past chapter, but for the whole story so far. I honestly wouldn't have even written another chapter if it wasn't for you all.**

**Oh, and for the record, some of Santana's experiences are based on some of my own, while the major issues are ones I've been experiencing secondhand through a close friend. If any of you all believe I am dealing with any aspect of her life unrealistically, please message me or review and we can talk about it. Thank you so much for reading this ridiculously long note, now on to the chapter.**

**GLEE**

Julia awoke with a start. Looking around, she remembered lying down with her youngest after they returned home. Noticing Santana still napping in her arms, her mind began to wander. Her and her husband had been immediately notified about their daughter's hospitalization by her cheerleading coach, but never learned _why_. Yes, they knew she was in a fight with a child significantly larger than their 5'2, 100 pound Santana, but they never learned the cause of it. Claire had also tried to get the cause of the fight out of Santana when she was in her care, but all any of them were told was that it was a sudden, irresponsible fit of jealousy that spurred her actions and she would never succumb to it again. Not unlike herself, Santana was a very impetuous being; that combined with her occasionally possessive nature tended to lead to some unfortunate decisions. Julia's thoughts were interrupted by soft whimpers from the child she was holding.

"Princess? Santana, wake up, you're having a nightmare." As the teenager's eyes slowly opened and blinked a few times, Julia sat them both up and glanced at the clock. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Do you need more medicine? We've been sleeping for over two hours, are you hungry?"

Ignoring her mother, Santana slowly got out of bed and walked to her vanity, where she grabbed a hair tie to put her dark locks in a messy bun while grabbing a drink from a nearby water bottle. She turned back to her mother and rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, okay? I didn't have a nightmare and I don't hurt. But I am kind of hungry."

Julia didn't press the nightmare issue, instead jumping at the opportunity to do something for her usually independent daughter and immediately asking what she would like to eat. Santana thought about it, stripping her clothes to change into clean pajamas, something she had been itching to do since she dressed in her uncomfortable jeans to leave the hospital. "Um, fried rice. But not the kind with chicken or egg or shrimp, that vegetable stuff. That's all I want." Her mom nodded and got up to help Santana change into a tank top. Her ribs were still very bruised and swollen and her shoulder still tender, Santana's wincing enough to convince her that she still had a long way to go in the healing process and needed a lot more help than she let on.

"That sounds good, princess. Come on, let's go downstairs." She led her daughter to the elevator in the house; while it wasn't considerably close to Santana's room it was a much better option than the stairs for someone in her state. Once they reached the family room Julia deposited Santana on the couch and tossing a blanket on her. "Wait here, I'm going to make your food. And then we need to talk, missy." Santana reluctantly nodded, reaching for the remote and turning on some trashy reality show. Her mom just sighed and headed towards the kitchen.

**GLEE**

It was almost six o'clock when Santana finished her early dinner and the episode of The Real Housewives. Her parents had run to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription they did not have ready at the hospital when they were leaving, so she was alone for a few minutes. Closing her eyes, she decided to rest in the quiet of the empty house while she had the chance, before her parents came home and bombarded her with questions.

The doorbell rang, puncturing the stillness. Santana sighed and slowly stood up, walking across the room to answer the front door. She opened the door, and immediately her eyebrows rose. "Um…hi?"

Lauren looked down at her feet, then looked past the brunette into the house. Santana took the hint and opened the door wider to let the other girl into the house. Lauren muttered a quick "Thanks" and followed Santana into the family room, sitting down in the armchair perpendicular to the couch Santana sat on. "Why are you here? Not that I care, but when someone invites herself over without any warning…"

Lauren sighed, finally opening her mouth to explain her presence to the Latina. "I have something I need to say to you. I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I want you to understand how deeply, incredibly sorry I am. We both obviously have possession issues over Puck, and I shouldn't have _attacked_ you like I did. It's not my place to dictate who Puck hangs out with, even if we have some sort of relationship going on. I never meant for you to get hurt by me."

Santana just looked at the teenager across from her. "It's not your fault. I just need to get over him. You're forgiven."

The other girl shook her head. "It is my fault, how could you say that its not? I was…vicious." Santana shrugged. "Nothing I didn't deserve. Actually, I probably deserved it a long time ago."

Lauren shook her head. "Sure, you were a bitch to me. But I overreacted. I shouldn't have used my fists, words would have been justified for the things you said about me but I had no right to treat you the way I did. Anyway, I'm sorry again."

Santana looked into her eyes. "No Lauren, _I'm_ sorry. I can't treat people like that. I didn't really mean it, it's just that, I don't know, I was scared he wouldn't be there for me like he always has been before. I don't exactly have a lot of people lining down the block to be there for me. I'm so mean, and I use it to keep people away. On purpose, but it still hurts sometimes. I never should have been so rude and malicious to you; _you_ don't deserve it." Lauren looked at her, really looked at her. She saw something in Santana's eyes; she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. "It's so unnerving to see you without the bitch act."

Both girls let out a small laugh, the tenseness of the apologies dissolving with that comment. Each girl could sense the other's forgiveness. "But seriously girl, I owe you one. I've got your back now, keep that in mind."

Santana smiled, and leaned back onto the couch. "Thanks, Lo, I appreciate it."

"Oh, already started with the nicknames, have we Sanny?"

"DON'T call me that!" The forcefulness of the statement shocked Lauren, who put her hands up in an innocent motion. "Sorry, tiger. Don't break out the claws on me."

Santana glanced out the window. "Sorry. Just don't call me that, okay? I _hate_ it." Lauren nodded. "Deal."

"Want some ice cream? I'll call my parents and tell them to pick up cones for us on their way home."

"I never say no to some ice cream. Chocolate chip, please. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

**GLEE**

**Sorry it's so short! The friendship between the two girls may seem a little weird, especially since Lauren is the cause for her ending up in the hospital, but Santana needs a few more people on her side. There are a few little signs in this chapter that just may foreshadow what is really wrong with Miss Lopez, but nothing too telling. Please let me know what you think! The next chapter will include the talk with her parents. **


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